Plant science courses

Kew's courses in plant science vary both in duration and topic.

They include two-week training courses in vegetation survey or tropical plant identification, or a one-week course in botanical nomenclature. You can learn about identifying plants with one of our plant taxonomy, identification and field skills courses or on a wood identification course.

Courses and training opportunities

This course draws on the expertise of scientists from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew to provide training in the identification of plant families and in field survey techniques, and to demonstrate the latest appropriate field technologies.

This one-week botanical nomenclature course, led by Kew specialists with extensive practical experience, covers the principles of plant nomenclature according to the International Code of Nomenclature.

Kew acts in partnership with various universities and other scientific institutions to organise a number of plant diversity and conservation MSc courses. As well as providing taught modules, Kew also offers research opportunities for students on these courses, enabling them to work alongside Kew’s specialist staff and contribute to ongoing projects.

A new Masters course based at Kew, will teach vital plant and fungal identification skills in the context of evolutionary biology and conservation theory and practice. It includes a field course in Madagascar and a six-month research project.

This practical two-week Vegetation Survey course, led by specialists from Kew's Botanical and Geographical Information Systems teams, offers an introduction to the techniques and technology available for classifying and mapping vegetation at regional and local scales. It is particularly designed for those carrying out surveys for conservation agencies or extractive industries.

During the Wood Identification Course, participants will look at many different types of wood, and find out how to distinguish them using features of their cells and tissues visible only under the microscope.